Northeast Thailand: Teenager fatally shot after Carabao concert at Surin Elephant Festival

A 17 year old teenager was fatally shot during a violent confrontation at the Surin Elephant Festival today, following Thai rock band Carabao’s last concert at the festival.

The annual event, which attracted over 20,000 spectators, took place at the Srinagarind Stadium in Surin, Thailand.

Tensions escalated after midnight as groups of teenagers began to leave the venue. A heated exchange involving furniture being thrown and a ping pong bomb being detonated ensued. Law enforcement intervened, finding three injured individuals and arresting one teenager found in possession of a fake firearm.

Shortly after, a separate shooting incident occurred approximately 2 kilometres away at a bustling market near the festival. More than 40 teenagers were waiting for a chartered bus home when a group of teenagers on motorcycles opened fire, reported KhaoSod.

The 17 year old victim from Ban Raka, Buriram, was standing at the back of a double-decker bus when he was hit by a bullet under his right rib, causing paralysis. He subsequently died at Surin Hospital.

A friend of the deceased revealed they had no prior issues with the perpetrators and speculated it was a random act of violence. The responsibility now lies with the police to investigate and bring the gunmen to justice.

In related news, teenage twins shot a fellow teenager who later died. The twins, known as Yossakorn and Yossaphon, both 19 years old, have been apprehended by the Prawet Police. The arrest, which occurred on November 5, came on the heels of a fatal altercation on On Nut Road in Prawet the previous day. Read more about this story HERE.

In other news, in Tak province, a Burmese teenager was fatally shot in the face after a Facebook challenge resulted in a confrontation between two rival gangs. The dispute was over a shared love interest, with peace talks culminating in the fatal shooting. Read more about this story HERE.